The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-12-01
NAVIGATOR ISLANDS.
How Their Dusky Bellies are Wooed
Con Ero Eyo amman

How Their Dusky Bellies are Wooed.
San Francisco Examiner.
DR.. w. B. Waller, of Caldwell, O.,
returned on the last steamer after
four months residence in the islands
Of the Navigator group. Hegave some
strange incidents of his experience
there and of the queer habits of the
bronzed natives at the Grand Central
hotel the other day.
"The Samoans are simple. minded,
honest people," said he. "It has been
charged that they steal everything
they can lay their hands on. but this
is mistake. They just take it. AL
most everything is common property.
Stop at one of their reed cabins in the
bush and you can't tell whether the
folks there own the cabin or not. Per.
haps they are just occupying it for a
week, while the builders of it are away
occupying somebody else's cabin. Or,
perhaps, two families are there togeth-
er. Let Samoan drop into any cabin
and see coat he wants and he just
takes it. It's all right. The owner OF
it will take the next one he sees any
where, or ii he asks for the one he had
he can readily get it back. Just SO
with everything they have.
"The Navigator island people never
kiss. They simply rub noses. And
should a young man wish to marry a
girl he, if he has a servant, simply
sends him to the girl, stating that his
master likes her and would like to
marry her. If she is willing to marry
him she sends back word, naming an
early evening she will meet him. The
meeting usually takes place in the
bush back of the girls home. It is
their trysting place, and here every
thing is talked over, the lovers sitting
upon the ground, and everything is
arranged.
perhaps the next day, or very soon
thereafter, they disappear, without
saying a word to anybody. They may
be gone four or six weeks in the bush
before anybody hears from them or
has the least inkling of where they are
Then they as suddenly reappear,
whereupon they are formally Joined
in marriage by one of the chiefs or
missionaries, and all their friends
join in giving them a big dinner of
pork. Then they are substantially
married, but should either grow tired
of the other, he or she simply removes
to one of the other islands, where the
party is as free again as though never
married, the ceremony rot holding
good there, nor, in fact, at home, after
little time.
"The Samoan girls marry at the
age OF 10 Or IL years. They are then
as magnifcently developed physically
as they ever are, but in mind they are
oftentimes but little less than children.
"Another thing about these strange
natives of the Navigator group is
that they are double -jointed, and
that is why they are such fine dancers
and are altogether the most graceful
people in the world. Their legs at the
knee joints, their arms at the elbows
and their shoulders, with their ball
and socket joints, are reversible in a
way that would astonish you. The ell
bow and knee joints, can be bent ex.
actly contrary to the natural condi-
tion of all other persons.
"1he missionaries have taught the
Samoans to avoid profanity, and
they never swear in their presence, but
outside of it they think it is all right,
and 1 have heard them cuss like
troopers, and half-hour after lead a
family prayer with a fervor that is
amazing. They are devout people,
and with all their occasional profani-
ty, are never angry. They are the
most even-tem pered people 1 ever
saw